Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, 1st PB ed.

Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda. Self-Realization Fellowship. First paperback edition, 1972. Likely the first of two printings in 1972. There are four indications that point to this printing as the first: (1) The position of the frontispiece photo of Paramahansa Yogananda is incorrect in this printing. It appears on the very first leaf of the book facing the inside cover. In the next printings, starting with the presumed second printing in 1972, it was corrected to be opposite the title page. (2) The copyright page has just “First paperback edition 1972,” while the second 1972 printing and other printings have “11th cloth edition 1972” added below it, with the further change in later printings from 1972 to 1971. (3) The caption for the author’s mother’s photo shows her name as “GURRU GHOSH.” In the second 1972 printing it appears as “GYANA PRABHA GHOSH” and also in the 1975 and 1977 printings and presumably all the printings between the second printing and the fifth printing in 1977. (4) The booklist opposite the index is different from the second printing, which is the same list as the 1975 printing and likely the printings in between. There might be other differences between the first and later printings. The overall condition is very good+. The cover has mild edge wear, a bright front and back cover, and a faded spine with a few scratches and one faint crease. The page edges show bands of different shades, indicating that different kinds of paper were used in the printing; for example, acid-free paper versus non-acid-free paper. This is perhaps what caused some of the pages to be brighter than others. Slight tanning on many of the pages. Clean, unmarked pages. The binding is so tight that it was probably never read. Extraordinarily good condition given its age. All the paperback editions were printed by outside printers since Self-Realization Fellowship didn’t have the capability at the time to print and bind paperback books.